The present invention relates generally to washing machine apparatus, and more particularly provides a commercial/industrial washing machine having a variety of unique structural and operational features incorporated therein that significantly improve and simplify the loading and unloading of the machine, and additionally enhances the washing and rinsing effectiveness thereof.
Commercial/industrial washing machines are very large and very heavy units used to launder linen in, for example, hotels, industrial laundries and large hospitals. "Linen" is a generic laundry industry term encompassing a wide variety of launderable items--such as sheets, pillow cases, table cloths, towels, uniforms and the like--whether such items are of an actual linen material or of another material such as cotton or polyester. The great size, weight and bulk of the typical commercial/industrial washing machine has heretofore rendered its linen loading and unloading process a difficult, time-consuming, awkward and potentially dangerous task.
Conventional washing machines of this type include a main body section which is supported on a floor-mounted structural frame and is hydraulically pivotable relative to such frame between a loading position in which the body is rearwardly tilted at an angle of approximately 15.degree., a wash position in which the body is horizontally disposed, and an unloading position in which the body is forwardly tilted at an angle of approximately 12.degree.. Since the weight of the body section of even a medium-sized commercial/industrial washing machine often is in excess of 10,000 pounds, it can be seen at the outset that the tilting of the body through its approximately 27.degree. angular range requires a hydraulic system of considerable power and ruggedness.
Carried within the machine's body is a large cylindrical washing drum which is rotationally drivable about its longitudinal axis by a suitable drive system also housed within the body. The drum is positioned within the body in a manner such that when the body is in it horizontal washing position the drum axis is also horizontal. An access door is pivotally mounted on the front end of the machine's body to selectively cover and uncover the front end opening of the drum. To agitate the linen disposed within the drum during the wash and rinse portions of the machine's wash cycle, the interior of the drum of provided with a circumferentially spaced series of axially extending breaker ribs.
The following description of one complete load-wash-unload cycle of a conventional commercial/industrial washing machine is illustrative of the complex, time-consuming and somewhat awkward nature of its use. To begin the cycle, the drum is filled with a low level of water, the machine door is opened, and the body is slowly pivoted to its rearwardly inclined loading position in which the drum axis is rearwardly and downwardly inclined at an angle of approximately 15.degree.. This rearward tilting of the machine body moves the front end opening of the drum (which is at a fairly high elevation) rearwardly while at the same time moving the lower front corner of the machine body forwardly, thus rendering manual access to the drum opening somewhat awkward.
Next, a first load of linen is brought to the machine--a task which is typically performed by utilizing an overhead laundry bag sling system, a suitable conveyor system, or other appropriate loading apparatus. The first batch of dry linen is hand loaded into the drum opening and is pushed rearwardly into the drum toward the back end thereof. A second batch of dry linen is then also brought to the machine and is hand-stuffed into the drum. This hand stuffing of the second linen batch into the drum is even more difficult and awkward since the first batch of dry linen occupies a considerable portion of the drum interior. When this second linen batch is stuffed into the drum, the machine door is closed and the body section is forwardly tilted through an angle of approximately 9.degree. and the machine door is closed. The drum is then rotated to thoroughly soak, and thereby considerably reduce the volume of, the first and second batches of linen.
After this soaking and volume reduction phase is completed, the rotation of the drum is terminated, the machine body is again rearwardly tilted to its loading position, and the machine door is opened. A third and final batch of linen is brought to the machine and hand-stuffed into the drum. The machine body is then forwardly pivoted through an angle of approximately 9.degree. and the machine door is closed. The machine body is then forwardly pivoted to its horizontal washing position and an appropriate wash cycle is selected to automatically wash, rinse, and extract residual rinse water from the linen.
After the wash cycle has been completed, the machine door is opened, and the machine body is forwardly tilted to its unloading position. A laundry cart is wheeled up to the machine, and the drum is sequentially rotated in opposite directions. This opposite rotation of the drum tends to automatically force the washed linen outwardly through the drum opening while one or more workers pull on the linen and cause it to fall into the receiving cart. When the washed linen has been fully unloaded, the machine body is slowly tilted rearwardly, through an angle of approximately 27.degree., to its loading position so that another load-wash-unload cycle can be initiated.
It has been known for some time that the rather time-consuming, difficult and somewhat awkward task of manually stuffing the various linen batches into the drum can be significantly facilitated by rotating the drum during this manual stuffing process. However, this creates the potential for serious worker injury in the event that a worker's hand or arm is ensnared by the rotating linen and/or one of the internal drum ribs. Accordingly, the practice of rotating the drum during the loading process is usually not employed.
It can be clearly be seen from the foregoing that conventional commercial/industrial washing machines are subject to a variety of problems, limitations and disadvantages. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide improved commercial/industrial washing machine apparatus which eliminates or minimizes above-mentioned and other problems, limitations and disadvantages associated with such conventional apparatus.